1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a multimedia communication method in mobile personal computers, and more particularly to the multimedia communication method using a virtual world interface and an instant messenger program.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mobile personal computers (PCs) are expected to be universally used in the early twenty-first century and absorb all functions of existing telecommunication and information appliances such as pagers, cellular phones, videophones, facsimiles, etc. These mobile PCs signify not only existing handheld computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs), but also light and small PCs having all or some of the infrared port, serial port, radio data communication functions and the like for communication with remote PCs, as well as the performance of desktop PCs, such as wearable PCs (in the form of a wrist watch or bulletproof jacket), auto PCs (such as a PC which is contained in a vehicle to guide a driver or read an electronic mail for the driver in response to a voice command from the driver), etc. Such mobile PCs are expected, on the basis of the following reasons, to absorb all functions of existing telecommunication and information appliances.
1. Development is continuously made of fundamental techniques capable of realizing functions of pagers, cellular phones, videophones and facsimiles in PCs.
2. Mobile PCs, charge coupled devices (CCDs), batteries, etc. are becoming lighter in weight and higher in performance at a very remarkable speed.
3. Peripheral techniques associated with a wireless asynchronous transmit mode (ATM) are being developed. These techniques will replace existing cellular phones and radio data communication systems using them or be used in combination with them.
4. It is much simpler and more convenient for persons to carry and use a single telecommunication/information appliance rather than individual pagers, cellular phones, electronic notes, etc.
On the other hand, it is the current reality that an instant messenger program runs only on either desktop computers or notebook computers. The instant messenger program requires no procedure of server accessing by a user and is made active in response to a request from a different user while online. This program mostly has memo and chatting functions and always runs at a background or foreground.
An ultimate goal of communication techniques can be defined as allowing users to rapidly exchange information with anybody anytime and anywhere. But, either desktop computers or notebook computers are disadvantageously limited in places for use. Mobile PCs, expected to have a multimedia function and be actively spread, will enable rapid communication at any place or time as long as they are able to transmit or retrieve multimedia data using the instant messenger program.